Is it ridiculous to think Marcus Mariota's Week 7 performance against the lowly Panthers undercut the perceived value of Jayden Daniels? We scoff a question like this right now but often find ourselves looking back at them weeks later and wishing we hadn't.
Welcome to Week 8 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Fantasy True or False (see below)
- Real or Fool's Gold, TE Edition
- Who Benefits From Recent Lineup Changes
- QBs Suffering Due to Other Injuries
Let's roll.
Fantasy True/False
Matt Waldman: Pick one of these statements and explain why it is true or false.
- Marcus Mariota's performance in Week 7 undercuts the longstanding perceived value of Jayden Daniels.
- The Jets will turn the offense around and provide significant playoff fantasy value.
- Chase Brown is fool's gold--not as a talent, but how he fits in the Bengals' offense.
- Tank Bigsby is a sell-high option who bullies bad defenses and has used up his bad defenses this year.
Some or all of these statements may seem ridiculously false, but the unpredictable nature of football has historically proven wild ideas like these become reality.
Justin Howe: We're now 25 months removed from the last time Aaron Rodgers posted back-to-back games of 250+ yards. For back-to-back 300+ games? Go back another 10 months. Why should I assume he's poised for a turnaround on this dysfunctional team at age 40?
Joseph Haagan: I will disagree with Justin and say it is true for the Jets' offense. The unit is too good not to turn it around. With a receiving corps comprising two of Aaron Rodgers' all-time favorite targets, Allen Lazard and Davante Adams, and third-year star Garrett Wilson, it is virtually impossible not to. It all hangs on Rodgers' shoulders.
Can he bring any semblance of his former self to the table for the remainder of the year? I do believe he can. You saw glimpses of the old Rodgers when he threw for 281 yards and 2 scores with a 77% completion percentage, albeit against a poor Patriots team. With a solid running game and "trustworthy" receiving options for Rodgers, there is a better chance of the team turning it around than staying so stagnant offensively.
Jeff Haseley: I agree with Joseph. I have seen in years past that Aaron Rodgers is capable of going on a run that involves a playoff chase. The same can happen for him and the Jets this year. While the chances are low, there are greater than zero odds that Rodgers will pull up the bootstraps and rise to the occasion when the Jets need him most. they have the talent on offense and the grit on defense to make a run. If you add Rodgers into that equation, the probability of it happening increases.
Phil Alexander: False: Chase Brown is fool's gold--not as a talent, but how he fits in the Bengals' offense.
If this were true, how do we explain Brown's share of Cincinnati's rush attempts increasing in every game since Week 2? Or his season-high 71.3% rush share in Week 7? Hat tip to JJ Zachariason for the data points.
Even if there are some stylistic issues with Brown's fit in Cincinnati's offense, the Bengals have slowly come around to the fact he's the most effective runner on their roster and the big-play threat they've lacked in recent years. Brown averages +.7 rushing yards over expected per carry compared to -.9 for Zack Moss. The 2023 fifth-round pick has broken 12 runs of 10-plus yards, which is tied for best in the league among running backs with fewer than 70 carries.
The Bengals are a middling 3-4 and won't win the defensive battle most weeks. Brown helps them score points. Zack Moss does not. It shouldn't shock anyone if this is no longer a split backfield during the second half of the season.
Ryan Weisse: While it was good to see Marcus Mariota play well, this statement is false. First and foremost, we've seen backup quarterbacks come into games due to injury and play very well, only to crash to Earth over the next few games. Think Andy Dalton.
When a defense prepares for an elite runner like Daniels, it is not the same way they would plan for a less mobile quarterback like Mariota. Secondly, Daniels was likely in for a monster fantasy game. He was already at 50 rushing yards on three carries when he left. Mariota finished with 34 rushing yards on 11 carries.
With just those rushes, Daniels might have hit 150 yards. That's 15 fantasy points without including passing numbers.
Mariota finished with 205 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. Daniels has beaten that yardage in each of his last five games. While Mariota had a good game, Daniels would probably have finished in the top 3 and may have been the best quarterback in fantasy this week if he had played the whole game.
Corey Spala: Jayden Daniels is the franchise quarterback for Washington, and I am not concerned about his longstanding value. Marcus Mariota did his job and stepped up when Washington needed him as a competent backup quarterback.
The importance of Mariota's performance lies in the talent of the supporting cast Washington has on offense. Jayden Daniels has an obvious spark and a game-changing ability when he is playing. He is the number one-ranked quarterback in expected points added per play.
Waldman: Thanks for reading. Check out the links below for all of this week's roundtable topics:
- Fantasy True or False
- Real or Fool's Gold, TE Edition
- Who Benefits From Recent Lineup Changes
- QBs Suffering Due to Other Injuries
Good luck!